Unburied

A/NI: Just some missing scenes from "Bury Your Dead".

A/NII: Edited on 3/3/14 to lower crap factor.

Disclaimer: NCIS isn't mine. :(

"What, no balloons?" Tony asks after giving the three of them a thin smile. The elevator closes behind him, a disgruntled looking Kort disappearing behind the doors. Apparently he doesn't like three angry NCIS agents pointing their guns at him.

He waits for some kind of reaction from one of them. I mean, I did just come back from the dead. Shouldn't there be a tearful reunion or something?

It's Gibbs who reacts first. He strides forward, giving him one of the hardest head slaps he's ever received from the older agent. However, instead of removing his hand, he uses it to drag Tony into a tight hug.

"You ever die on me again, DiNozzo, and I may just have to kill you myself," he says quietly next to Tony's ear. Tony returns the hug.

"Love you too, boss," Tony replies, giving him a half smile as they break apart. McGee is still standing with his jaw hanging open, but Ziva seems slightly more with it now. Upon closer inspection, Tony can tell that she's been crying. Her eyes are red and puffy. She wasn't just sniffling... she'd been crying hard.

My 'death' made the all-powerful ninja assassin badass Ziva David CRY?

Before he has a chance to say anything else, Ziva tackles him in a stunningly Abby-like hug. His arms react quickly and he grips her around the middle, and she got so much momentum from her hug that she ends up being several inches off of the ground. After a long moment, he drops her carefully on the floor. She wipes a single tear out of her eye.

"I am glad you are not dead," she says simply as she looks away. Tony smiles lazily.

"It takes a lot more than a car bomb to kill me, Zee-vah," he says. As he turns to McGee, he sees his friend's lower lip is trembling slightly.

Quivering lip, Probie? he thinks, but doesn't voice out loud, for once.

"Come on, McGee, show me some love!" McGee takes a few steps forward and hesitates before giving Tony a bear hug. Tony pats his back.

"Alright, come on. You've got a lot of explaining to do, DiNozzo," Gibbs says, grabbing a fistful of Tony's shirt and dragging him up to Jenny's office.

"You know I didn't mean for this to happen," Jenny tells him quietly after Gibbs leaves. She leans forward on her desk, lips pursed. Yeah, I kind of figured that out for myself, Director.

"I know," he replies, feeling more distant from Jenny than he has in a long time. He cares about the Director, considers her his friend, and on the short list of people he respects, she was hovering just behind Gibbs. An impressive feat, without question.

He nearly died today. Alienated the woman he loved. She has gotten him involved in this insane op, thrown him so far under cover it's not even remotely funny. Yeah, he agreed, and putting all of the blame on Jenny wasn't exactly logical, but...

I'm pissed, and I'm looking for someone to blame.

The only one to blame was Jenny, because she was the only one who knew. She was the one who had thrown him into this ocean of unexpected guilt without a life jacket. He isn't sure which he feels worse about, lying to Jeanne or lying to Gibbs.

Right now, they were tied.

"Tony, you knew what you were getting into," she reminds him in a gentle voice. Tony's rage flares, and he bangs his fist down on the desk. God, I'm turning into Gibbs.

"Yeah, Jenny, I know that too! I know that me falling in love with her wasn't part of the plan! My sincerest apologies for getting in the way of your vendetta!" he barks, clenching his teeth. Damn it... damn it!

"I'm sorry," she whispers, his uncharacteristic anger seeming to startle her. I know.

"Don't apologize," he replies in a voice that doesn't sound much like his own. "It's a-"

"Sign of weakness," Jenny finishes with a sad smile. "But not between friends," she amends. Tony snorts weakly.

"Never heard that part," he mutters. She shrugs.

"Gibbs has an exception to every rule." Tony stares at his hands, trying his best to push Jeanne to the back of his thoughts. Oh well, in the bottle it goes. The best way of coping with things is to just not think of them.

It's worked for him well enough before.

Tony fumbles with the paper in his hands, the words sending a sharp knife into his heart. He stands in Jeanne's abandoned apartment, Ziva hovering close to him, concern emanating from her. His eyes read over the letter once, twice, three times. It's so short, but then again, does he really deserve a lengthy missive?

"I'm not coming back. You need to choose."

He can't believe it when he feels hot tears burn at the corners of his eyes. Of course, he doesn't let them fall. DiNozzos don't cry, his father's voice echoes in his head.

Jeanne is gone. She isn't coming back. He doesn't even really register when Ziva hesitantly puts her arms around his waist, trying to give him what small amount of comfort she can offer. He can practically feel the awkwardness radiating off of her. It's darkly amusing. Ziva doesn't know how to deal with something she can't roundhouse kick or shoot.

He wants to return her hug, but his arms hang loosely at his sides, one of his hands limply holding the letter. He can't really move at all, now that he thinks about it.

When she had hugged him in the bullpen earlier, that had been different. That had been a knee jerk reaction. She is clear headed at the moment, and no doubt lost on how to help him.

Maybe it's because no one can help him.